Definitions
(verb)
to report; to inform; to announce
(noun)
newspaper
(verb)
to repay; to recompense; to revenge
About
The character for "to report" or "newspaper", now written as 报 in its simplified form, originates from the traditional and more complex form 報, which structurally reveals its original legal and punitive connotations. Its construction combines a radical on the left, derived from a pictograph representing handcuffs or restraint, with a component on the right depicting a kneeling figure being forced down, together conveying the act of apprehending and submitting a criminal for judgment. This etymology reflects its earliest meanings related to retribution, requital, and the formal announcement of a judicial sentence. Over centuries, the semantic focus shifted from the punitive act itself to the communicative act of informing authorities or the public, thereby encompassing ideas of repaying, responding, and finally, the regular dissemination of news, as seen in the modern term for newspaper, 報紙/报纸.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我每天读报纸。
他写了一份报告。
我们需要报警吗？
我想报名参加比赛。
我要报答你的恩情。
他决心为父亲报仇。
公司会报销你的旅行费用。
这些报刊提供了丰富的新闻信息。